Swedish singer Mats Levén (ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION) has issued the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer RONNIE JAMES DIO (DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, RAINBOW, ELF):

"The first concert I ever went to was DEE PURPLE, playing in Gothenburg on the Stormbringer tour (March 21st, 1975)

Ritchie Blackmore had already recorded the first Rainbow album and this was his last tour with the Mark 3 lineup of Deep Purple.

I bought the first Rainbow album and when I heard Ronnie's voice I soon forgot about Deep Purple. The second album, Rising, is one of the important albums of my life and the song 'Stargazer' in particular.

Already then I felt the power and the passion coming out from his heart and lungs... this was something new and exciting to me. Ronnie's voice still amazes me.

Like many others I was disappointed when Ronnie left Rainbow, but instead I enjoyed the new material with Black Sabbath and I still rate some of that stuff the best metal songs of all time.

I'd never seen Ronnie live but in 1983 he did his first Dio show in Sweden at Draken in Stockholm and I finally got to see him. I remember there was a fight in the front row and Ronnie stopped the band in the middle of a song and sorted it all out.

SOUTHPAW supported Dio in Sweden in 1998 and I got to meet him, he was incredibly nice and a true gentleman - I treasure that memory. I was sneaking behind the monitor desk at one of his soundchecks and it was cool to hear his incredible voice from the monitors... no, it was like a PA on stage ha ha... it was very very loud.

After that I've seen him 3 - 4 times again with Dio, one memorable show was in Sao Paulo Brazil in 2004 before 6000 fans, they loved him.

Also saw 3 shows with Heaven & Hell, the first one at Sweden Rock in 2007 was without a doubt the best and also one of the few times that I had tears in my eyes at a concert. The impact of 'I' and 'Sign Of The Southern Cross' was incredible.

When I recorded with Cozy Powell in 1997, he told me some great stories and I was hoping that one day Ronnie, Cozy and Ritchie might reform the classic lineup.

That day in April 1998 when Cozy died was a sad one and now, those last 24 hours have been heartbreaking - our hero is gone but his voice and music will live forever.

My sincerest condolences to Ronnie's close one's, M."